Never Forget
by Sw00p
Summary: One woman was found left on Akuze after her entire unit was massacred by Thresher maws. No one knew what lied in wake, no one knew the horror that would happen there. And only one person escaped to tell the tale. WARNING: GRAPHIC DETAILS  oneshot


**A/N:** WHOO, my first Mass Effect oneshot :DD I've been wanting to write my idea of what happened on Akuze for a while now and finally got around to it! -should be studying for exams whoops- This is my fem!shep Riley Shepard: Paragade, Earth Born, Sole Survivor (duh P:) I hope you enjoy my version of it!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Mass Effect or any of the characters/ideas contained within Bioware's realm of AWESOMENESS. However, the two male characters in this story and the way I write my Shepard are from my own head, so they belong to me :D Just not the idea of what they are or the places that they're from or... ASDASGD You get the point OTL

**P.S.** I'm sorry if there are typos and grammar stuff, feel free to let me know and I'll correct them XDD ahahaha... /fail

**Never Forget**

-A Mass Effect Oneshot-

"Take cover!" the command came suddenly but not as unexpectedly as the beast that had just sprouted out from the ground just outside their camp. Chief Riley Shepard didn't hesitate at the Lieutenant's order, quickly diving behind the crate they had just been conversing on. Lieutenant Daniel Walker, somewhat of a burly man with a thick buzzed top-cut and facial hair, joined her behind the crate shouting curses as the creature reeled back with a high-pitch shriek. After a mysterious mass of green shot from the beast's mouth struck and quickly disintegrated a nearby tent, the campsite lit up with activity. Marines busted out of their respective tents, some armed, other's not so lucky, as the creature shot more green acid at them. Screams of horror rang out as marines were struck down simultaneously.

Shepard reached behind her back and armed herself with her rifle before peaking out over the top of the crate. "Shepard! Get down!" the officer demanded but she refused, determined to get a good look at what was attacking them.

"What the-" Her breath caught in her throat, blue-grey eyes widening in alarm. She gasped as Walker yanked her back down, yelling at her.

"Listen to me when I give you an order, Shepard!" the older man scowled, dark brows crossing in irritation, his angered expression causing the scar crossing the left side of his face over his lip to appear more jagged than it really was.

"Lt. Walker! Shepard!" shouted a young man with curly blonde hair as he ran towards them. He was knocked off his feet though as the beast let out another shriek before burying itself underground.

"Sketch!" Shepard shouted in return before scrambling to her feet and running to her friend.

"Damn it, Shepard!" Walker yelled. She had a bad habit of forgetting what she was told to do when friends were involved. This was something Walker had tried to drill out of her for years now but with no avail.

"Are you alright?" Shepard asked as she helped the NCO to his feet.

"Yea, I'm good, Shep." he flashed her an award-winning smile as Walker trudged over to them.

"Get your equipment ready, the both you." his voice was harsh and demanding, "This isn't over yet."

"Yes sir!" both Chiefs replied in unison as they went off to their respective areas. "Shepard," he grabbed her roughly by the arm, turning her to face him, "Don't you _dare_ disobey me again."

She thought to reply with a snarky comment but kept her lips locked seeing the intensity of his bright blue eyes. She nodded instead and the officer released her arm. She was still dressed in her armor and had her weapons, but there were a few things she wanted to grab from the tent she shared with a dozen other marine women. And wasn't to her surprise that there were a few still in the tent scrambling to get dressed as people shouted outside. Shepard ignored the women as they bickered about what was going on and the questions some of them threw at her. She rummaged through her things, pulling out a few items and stuffing them down the front of her armor.

"No point in talking to _her_, remember?" one of the women snorted with a roll of her eyes. Shepard never really got along with the women of her crew, but she never really cared either. Just as she was starting to wonder if the giant centipede like creature was going to return, a loud rumble shook the ground beneath their feet.

A blonde-haired ensign stood up with a frightened look. "What the fuck was that-" and then it happened. Something hit the top of their tent, hissing and seeping through the top. The women gathered around it as Shepard looked up with horrified eyes.

"Get out of the way!" she yelled at them, but she was too late. The acid ate through the tent and dropped onto them. Their screams bellowed out as their bodies were being ate away at. The few who had gotten their armor on bat at the slick liquid, trying to shake it off while the others instantly slumped to the ground. Shepard ran to them and without thinking tried to help one of the women wipe it off with her own hands. She recoiled as the acid immediately attacked her gloved hands, deteriorating the material with a wicked hiss. "Shit!" she yanked off her gloves and forced herself to back away from her writhing comrades. Her brows drew together in horror as she watched them fall to their knees into a pile of tangled, mutilated corpses. She swallowed the lump in her throat, touched her forehead with her middle and forefinger, crossing down to her chest then her shoulders as the tent started to cave in around her.

Chief Aaron Barlow, or _Sketch_, exited his own tent at the sound of more screams and orders being called out, trying to attach his heavy pistol to his backside while holding onto his trusty hand cannon. His eyes locked onto the creature, which the Alliance would later define as _Thresher maws_. And then he thought of Shepard. He looked around frantically for any sign of her. But all he could see were partially, if not completely, melted-through crates and tents and other marines trying desperately to take down the Thresher maw with their weapons. His attention was attracted to a nearby fallen tent, where a cursing Shepard tried to find en exit. He rushed over and proceeded to help his friend find a way out.

Lieutenant Walker unloaded yet another clip as he retreated backwards from the maw, watching as it picked up a marine in its massive jaws before returning to the earth again. He clenched his teeth as some of the other officers tried to rally the marines and get them to form into some sort of tactic maneuver. But Walker knew better. Their small arms weren't going to take this thing down. "Shepard, Barlow!" Shepard had just slinked out of the tent, Barlow holding up the opening for her when he approached them.

"What the hell is this thing?" Barlow vocalized what they were all thinking, dropping the tent back to the ground once Shepard was out.

"I don't know, but the bloody thing is going _down_." Walker replied just as the Thresher maw reappeared again. But this time there were two.

"Holy mother of God..." Barlow muttered, looking up at the large beasts as they reeled back and bellowed out a ear-piercing cry. Walker turned around and cursed at the sight.

"Great. Now there are _two_ of them." Shepard groaned as she put on her helmet. Barlow looked at her and realized he was missing that part of his armor.

"Crap, I don't have my helmet..." he started to say but Walker brushed him off.

"Don't worry about that, there should be some in the Grizzly." he motioned for them to follow him and they didn't hesitate as they quick-timed elsewhere.

"The Grizzly?" Shepard echoed in surprise, "But sir, there are still some maintenance problems..."

"I can fix them." Barlow interjected as they picked up pace to get over a small hill, heavy gunfire and cries exploding behind them.

"I was hoping you'd say that, Barlow." Walker said with a smirk as they approached the M29 Grizzly. Barlow rushed up as they neared it, turning on his omni-tool immediately. Shepard looked behind them as he tinkered with the vehicle. Truth be told, Barlow wasn't much of a soldier compared to Shepard, but his tech skills far exceeded hers. And they were relatively nonexistent to begin with. She took deep breaths as they watched the battle play out only three or so hundred yards away. Her hands tightened into fists as she watched their camp being destroyed, marines falling to the ground one after another. Her face lit up with joy though as one of the mighty beasts cried out as it was finally shot down by an organized group of marines. There was still the other one but it appeared to be badly wounded.

"Come on Barlow," Walker pushed, his tone anxious as he kept his gun in hand.

"I'm almost done," Barlow replied, "It was coded for some _damn_ reason. I had to-"

"Just get it done, Barlow!" Walker barked. Barlow held his tongue, knowing the officer was on the edge and merely wanted to jump back into the battle. Shepard tried to count how many marines were left and could only see ten. There may have been more, but damn had they lost a lot already. They went from fifty marines down to thirteen in less than fifteen minutes. She was still hopeful that they could take it down though. If they could just get the Grizzly working. Her eyes slowly lowered to the ground where she noticed some of the pebbles by her feet seemed to be moving on their own.

"Sketch..." she said his nickname a bit hesitantly. Then the ground started to shake harder and she realized what was happening. "Sketch." she gasped, the current thresher was still far away from them, too far for them to be feeling the ground shake. Walker noticed this too and he started to look around in alarm. "Any day now Sketch!"

"I know, I know!" the tech shouted back, his voice quaking and a nervous sweat rolling down his brow. Shepard rushed to the entrance of the Grizzly but fell to her knees when a third Thresher maw busted from the ground only a few yards away from them. Barlow and Walker had managed to catch themselves on the Grizzly and Walker ran to Shepard's side, helping her to her feet as Barlow finished and opened the hatch.

"Get in!" Walker shouted, shoving Shepard toward the Grizzly with his right hand, his gun still tightly gripped in the other. But even with his grip as tight as it was, it wasn't enough to keep it from being ripped out of his grasp by a shot of acid. Barlow crawled up and took the driver's seat of the Grizzly while Shepard turned back around to see where the hell Walker was.

She yelled out his name when she saw him still outside of the Grizzly. Without hesitation, she summoned biotic power to her hand and surrounded her senior office with it, using it to pull him into the vehicle. Another shot of acid hit the ground right where he had been just as he was yanked out of the way. Though she had had her powers for years now, she still had trouble controlling them, especially when under pressure. It was this lack of control that sent Walker slamming into her and skidding them further in until they hit the back of the front seats.

"Hold on tight!" Barlow announced as he put the grizzly into drive and barreled over the small hill they had just climbed. Walker winced in Shepard's arms are they were jostled around a bit. That's when Shepard noticed his left hand. She let out a small gasp at the sight of Walker's newly deformed hand. He had been struck by the acid, barely, but just enough to tear off all four fingers, leaving only his thumb and stubby palm behind. Her stomach twisted into knots and she struggled to keep bile from coming up her throat.

"Shepard, I need you at the turret!" Barlow shouted without turning his head to see what was going on.

"Just, give me a minute Sketch!" she shouted back as she set Walker against the wall of the Grizzly and searched around for medical supplies.

"Don't worry about my hand, Shepard." Walker croaked, starting to overcome the shock of losing almost half his hand.

"What about your hand?" Barlow asked in alarm, almost redirecting his attention to see what was happening behind him. But when the maw jumped out of the ground just in front of them, he was forced to redirect his attention, barely turning away from it in time.

Shepard ignored both men as she finally found some medigel and gauze. She crawled over to Walker and started to apply the blue goo to his mauled hand. She bit down on the inside of her lower lip while she applied it then wrapped the gauze around his hand. The flesh was clumpy and jagged - just looking at it made her sick.

"Thanks, Shepard. Now get your ass on the turret." Walker commanded, holding onto his hurt hand. She nodded, taking the seat in front of the turret's controls and looking through the periscope.

"I'm heading down to the one at camp," Barlow announced as Walker seated himself next to him. "The one on our tail went underground."

"Fine with me." Shepard growled, turning the turret in that direction and locking onto the maw, "Time to bring this mother fucker down." her fingers closed around the trigger and a wave of bullets sprayed from the nose of the turret.

Down at the camp, only a handful of straggling marines were left. Some crouched behind crates while a couple were still trying to take down the maw head on. When they spotted the Grizzly coming, raining hell down upon the maw, excitement and hope rushed through them.

_"Take cover! We're going to take this thing out!"_ Walker's voice boomed out from the Grizzly's speaker system. The few marines who were out in the open gratefully turned tail to find a good place to hide. The maw screeched in pain as it was being peppered by the heavy weapon, now confused and uncertain where to put its attention. It lashed out quickly, deciding to take one of the marines down. The marine was halted dead in his tracks as a long, spike-like claw plunged through his chest. He gasped, looking down in horror as the maw yanked back it's claw, leaving a gaping hole where it had struck him. He choked out a horrible guttural sound, blood spewing from his chest and flowing down his chin. He clutched at his chest with futile effort before eventually falling to the ground in a pool of his own blood.

Adrenaline coursed through Shepard's body as she mowed it down with bullets, never once losing sight of the damned creature. She was definitely afraid of these things that had taken out more than forty marines, but she was more angry than scared right now. The maw wavered as it continued to take hits, the pinchers surrounding its mouth flexing angrily but unable to attack back. And when it fell, she felt an invigorating energy and pride rush through her. Barlow let out an accomplished _hoo-rah_, bringing the Grizzly to a stopping position.

"This is not the time to cheer!" Walker snapped, hitting a few buttons on the consol to open to hatch of the vehicle, "There's still one more of those bastards out there. Shepard, get those marines in here now!"

"Got it!" she replied, hopping out of the turret seat and rushing out of the Grizzly. Even with her helmet on, she was hit by the overpowering smell of burnt corpses and blood. She gagged, grateful to have had the filters block out most of the smell, for she surely would have puked otherwise. Three marines stood up from behind a crate a ways off from her and another just to her side. "Come on!" she shouted, waving for them to follow her. They didn't hesitate. She ran back to the Grizzly, one marine on her tail and the other three not far behind.

This time, when the maw struck, there was no ground shaking to signify its presence, no intense shrieking cry. The damn thing just sprouted from the ground underneath their feet. Shepard and the marine behind her were sent flying across the ground, but the others behind them weren't as lucky. Horrified screams filled the air as two of them were snatched up in the maws mouth. Shepard raised up with her arms, shaking off the shock as the marine next to her coughed violently from the cloud of dirt that had stirred around them.

"God damnit!" she gritted when she turned around to see the maw close its pincher's around the marines' bodies and striking out with a long claw at the remaining marine sprawled out on the ground. Her eyes lit up with terror at seeing the man penetrated then drug underground as the maw receded yet again.

_"Get your ass back here, Shepard!"_ Walker yelled at her through the Grizzly's comm, bringing her attention back to the situation at hand. She rose to her feet and grabbed the only remaining marine by his arm, lifting him up.

"Let's go!" she said to him and he nodded, stumbling after her as they ran to the Grizzly. Walker hit the button to close hatch the moment after Shepard and the marine jumped in, with Barlow starting up the Grizzly not but seconds after that.

Shepard helped the marine to sit against the wall, checking him for injuries while Barlow and Walker discussed ideas in the front seats. "There should be a distress beacon here somewhere," Walker said as he searched with the Grizzly's system, his hands flying over the orange holographic keys rapidly. "We just need to find out where it is."

"If there was a beacon why didn't the pioneers use it?" Shepard said exasperatedly as she helped the marine apply medigel to his wounds.

"I don't know." he replied without any real indication as to how he felt about that thought.

"Maybe it's damaged." Barlow suggested, his foot still heavy on the pedal.

"Sounds like a lost cause," she sounded irritated, "Why can't we just go back and use ours?" she suggested, setting her back against the wall opposite of the marine, having finished patching him up.

"And risk facing that thing again?" now Walker sounded irritated, "I don't think so Shepard."

"No point," the marine interjected with strain in his voice, "Those creatures completely destroyed the camp. We tried to get someone to alert the Alliance," he sucked in a pained breath when he tried to readjust himself, holding onto his left side, "But they didn't reach the comm in time... Nothing's left." Shepard swore under breath.

"Then we have no other choice." Barlow sighed while Walker pulled something up from the system.

"Found it," Walker jutted his finger at the holographic map, pointing out a small dot, "Can you get us here, Barlow?" Barlow took a few glances at the map, not seeming too sure by the expression on his face.

"That map is a pretty vague- we barely know anything about this planet... But I think I can figure it out. Can you download it to your omni-tool? Just in case?"

Walker looked at the chief skeptically, "I don't like what you're insinuating, Barlow. But I'll do it." he pulled up the omni-tool on his left arm, running his fingers over the keys then holding it close to the Grizzly's system. There were a few beeps followed by a dragged out hum as it downloaded the map. "There," a low-pitch bleep came from his omni-tool as it finished and turned off. "Happy?"

"Not sure happy is the right word, sir. Definitely reassured though."

Walker scoffed and rolled his eyes. Barlow had this odd way of sounding eerily chipper even in dangerous situations. Shepard sighed inside her helmet. She felt muggy inside her armor and she had loose hairs sticking to her sweaty face. But she was too tired to bother removing her helmet.

"How far out are we, Sketch?" she asked, breaking the long silence that had ensued.

He took a moment to look at the map and find her an answer, "Five point six kilometers, Shep."

"You sure you're going fast enough?" she joked, smirking under her helmet, even though no one could see.

"Hey, I'm not the one that designed this piece of crap. If I had, there'd at least be a booster- Aw, shit!" Barlow tried his best to steer the Grizzly out of the way as the maw hurled out of the ground right in front of them. But as he turned it, the back end was struck by the body of the creature and sent tumbling like a toy car. It had happened all too suddenly for Shepard or the marine to grab onto something, and they were tossed around inside the Grizzly as if they were rag dolls. She was eventually slammed against the hatch as the vehicle settled on its side, her shoulder exploding into white flames of pain and her head hitting it last. She let out a series of garbled sounds, trying to regain her breath while her world was spinning around her.

"Are you two all right?" her hearing was a bit dull but she could make out Barlow's question followed by an, "Aw shit..."

She raised two fingers to show she was still conscious, then looked to her side at the marine next to her. Her body tensed at seeing the blood smeared across the hatch, the marine's lifeless body laying next to her with his head cracked open like an egg dropped from a two story building. She was very glad she hadn't taken off her helmet after all.

"Quickly, get the hatch open!" Walker instructed as the Grizzly suddenly rocked then settled. He looked out the window as Barlow crawled to the back to help Shepard open the hatch. "Fucking hell," he snarled as the maw shot more acid at them, rocking the vehicle again. He made his way to the back to help, sitting down and using his feet to kick at the door. With enough pounding they were finally able to get it open. They grabbed their weapons and some supplies then hauled ass out of there.

"Where the hell are we supposed to go?" Shepard shouted as the Grizzly was shot again and they stayed crouched behind it. Walker scouted the area, mumbling under his breath. The only thing other than flat dirt out there were hills. They would have to do.

"Follow me! Whatever you do, DO NOT fire at it. We don't want to draw attention."

"Aye, sir!" came the reply, but this time is was only Barlow for Shepard had remained silent. Walker peered out above before motioning for them to follow and bolted off to the right towards a rocky outcrop. They had covered more than half the distance by the time the maw saw them. But that was just enough time for it to strike.

Shepard let out a blood curdling scream as she was hit dead center on her back with acid. "Shep!" Barlow stopped and grabbed her by the arms, hauling her the rest of the way up the outcrop.

She yanked at her helmet, throwing it off in the distance. "Get it off, get it off!" she screamed, pawing at her armor. The hissing sound of it eating away the metal plates was horrible, but not nearly as bad as the pain flaring up her back as it was making its way through.

"Hold on, Shep!" Barlow frantically worked on the latches of her armor and Walker joined in. They managed to get it off her but it had already worked through it and the thin suit underneath. "Oh god, Shep... are you alright?" his normal chipper inflection was replaced with fear and guilt.

"It _fucking_ hurts!" she replied, her body spasming violently in pain as she hunched over on her knees, her arms wrapped around her stomach.

"She needs medigel," Walker stated as he pulled out what little they had. He handed the medigel to Barlow before looking to see where the maw had went.

Before Barlow could apply the first bit of medigel, Shepard started to gag, her insides twisting into knots at the pain. Her body was hot and for the life of her she couldn't stop shaking. She wanted it stop, to go away, but the more she thought about it the more it made her feel sick.

The pain was so strong she couldn't hold back from throwing up any longer. She heaved then wrenched the nonexistent contents of her stomach. Her eyes stung with tears and her mouth tasted horribly bitter from the bile. "Jesus, Shep." there was sympathy in Barlow's voice, but she couldn't hear him over the sound of her throwing up _again_. He was hesitant to touch her, to cause her more pain, but he had to get the medigel on her back, _fast_. "I'm sorry..." he said as he started to coat it over her burnt flesh. She grit her teeth, clenching her jaw and pressing her forehead so hard against the ground the dirt and rocks were cutting into her skin. She could feel him shaking as he applied the medigel and she tried to focus on that. Anything but the pain.

"The damn thing's disappeared again." Walker growled, putting his back against the rocks and facing his two subordinates. He felt his own stomach churn at the sight of Shepard's condition. Barlow was shaking like mad, and he could understand why. Her skin had been burnt bad, but it was still there, trying desperately to cling to her body. But with Barlow's every touch more of her skin slouched off onto his hands. He wasn't sure how they hell the boy was managing to keep the contents of his stomach down.

By the time Barlow had finished applying the medigel, both chiefs were shaking uncontrollably. "Riley..." he called her by her first name, wiping his hands on his pants before crawling on his knees over to sit in front of her. He swallowed deeply, his eyes scanning her defeated form. She remained hunched over, arms tight around her torso, with her head on the ground and her dark brown hair fallen out of its bun in multiple places. He kneeled down, taking her face into his hands gently and raising her face to see her tear stained and pain stricken eyes. He smiled sadly at her, leaning down and placing a soft kiss against her scratched forehead. He no longer cared if Walker saw them like this. He loved Shepard, and at a moment like this, no one else mattered but her.

Walker was surprised to see the act of affection. He knew the two had been close, but never knew it had been that kind of closeness. He turned his attention away from them but not out of respect - the maw had reappeared again. He cursed, turning back around and perched his rifle on top of the rocks. He may have only had one hand left, but that was all he needed to shoot from this position.

Barlow ignored the sounds of Walker unloading his clips and the shrieking of the maw being hit. "Riley, I need your help." his voice was soft, and a great comfort to her ears, "I promise I won't ever ask you to do something for me ever again if you can just do this one last thing. Will you help me?" she nodded, "It'll be hard. And you'll be completely spent afterwards, but you'll make it, I promise."

She let out a gasp as she struggled to sit up, her body still shivering, but she did it anyways. "Okay..." she had wanted to sound less pathetic, but her voice was shaky and weak, "I'll help you, Sketch." He smiled, stroking her face lovingly.

"You're the only of us with biotic powers, Riley," his eyes glanced over to the tossed vehicle down the hill and out a few yards, "I need you to flip the Grizzly back over. Can you do that?"

Her initial response would have been _hell no_, but she nodded instead. It would be hard to lift something that big, even only partially lifting it. She wasn't nearly as strong as a full-blown biotic, she was a vanguard after all. But she would do this, for him.

"Thanks, Riley." he helped her to turn around and look out over the outcropping. The medigel was working pretty fast for such a bad burn, but it still hurt like hell and her back was horribly stiff. In a few more minutes she would be able to move on her own again, but it would still be painful.

Walker ducked back down, "It's gone again..." he looked at them curiously, "What the hell are you two doing?"

"I've got a plan," Barlow replied but said nothing more.

"Oh really?" Walker didn't sound convinced, "Care to fill me in, Barlow?"

"Not really sir," he smirked, earning himself a hard glare from the lieutenant, "Do it, Riley." Shepard nodded, a blue haze spiraling around her hands and up her arms, spreading until her entire body was covered in biotic energy.

She could do this.

She fought against the heaviness of the power weighing her down, reeling back her hands and throwing them out with a loud cry. The blue energy lurched forward and attached itself to the Grizzly, and with a strained tug, Shepard pulled her arms back, causing the vehicle to follow her direction. Once all the wheels touched the ground, she released her hold on it, slumping to her knees in exhaustion, panting heavily, sweat dripping down her face.

"You did great, Shep," Barlow put a reassuring hand on her shoulder while withdrawing his hand cannon, "Watch my back will you?" he handed her the weapon with that award-winning smile of his and she gave him a confused look. But before she or Walker could question him, he hurled himself over the rocky edge, sliding down the hill and running towards the Grizzly at full speed.

She choked on a gasp as she realized his intent. He was going to use to Grizzly to try and shoot the damn thing down all on his own. She tried to rise to her feet, to stop him, but Walker pulled her back down. "Don't be stupid!" he scolded, glancing out of the corner of his eye when he heard the ground rumbling. "Fuck it, damn thing is back." he put his rifle back on top of the rocks, looking to see where Barlow was. Shepard peered out over the edge, her eyes searching wildly for her friend. But all she could see was that damned creature.

Then the turret turned. And then it shot. She was completely terrified but thrilled at the same time. The maw screeched as it was pelted with bullets, wavering back and forth in confusion. It apparently didn't expect for something it already took out to attack it again. The head of the maw drew back quickly and shot acid at the Grizzly, hitting the right front tire. As it started to withdraw back into the ground from too much damage, a spray of shots hit the glowing tongue and orifice of its mouth. It shrieked an ear-splitting sound as it disappeared beneath the earth.

Shepard seemed hopeful now that they had the Grizzly to use, but when she looked at Walker, he didn't seem anywhere near as excited. "Walker..." she tried to read his face but the man's thoughts were indiscernible. He bowed his head and said a quiet prayer. This only confused her more... until the maw resurfaced again.

It came up from directly underneath the Grizzly, trying to grasp it in its huge pinchers. But the Grizzly was too big to hold onto. It torqued its long body and threw the grizzly against the rocks Shepard and Walker hid behind. The outcropping shook with incredible force and they had to steady themselves so they didn't fall over. Shepard leaned over the rocks, praying to God that Barlow would come crawling out of the Grizzly.

"Aaron!" she cried out his name, using what little strength she had to jump over the edge and unceremoniously slide down the rocks.

"Shepard!" Walker called after her, followed by a string of curse words. But she didn't hear him as she scrambled towards the wreckage, completely dismissing the pain in her back as well.

"Don't be dead, don't be dead, don't be dead..." she repeated over and over in sobbing breaths as she reached the Grizzly. Tears were already streaming down her face as she pulled away rocks that blocked the open hatch. The sound of Walker's rifle shooting off what seemed to be every last clip he had echoed behind her, keeping the maw distracted. With the entrance mostly clear, she crawled into the dark chamber of the Grizzly, her eyes locked onto the back of Barlow's head in the turret's seat.

"Don't be dead, don't be dead, don't be..." as she came around to the front of the seat her voice broke into tiny gasps, and she rose up on her knees. "Sketch..." she swallowed deeply, her hands shaking as she took the side of his bloody face into her hand, "_Aaron_. Don't die on me, Aaron." she cupped both his cheeks with her hands, her chest wracking with sobs, "Why..." she shook her head in disbelief, "Say something. _Anything_. You can't just leave without saying goodbye damnit!" she slunk to the ground, wrapping her arms around his calves and weeping into his legs.

She wasn't sure how long she was in there when Walker showed up, but it had felt like an eternity. "Shepard," he said her name, but it didn't sound nearly as harsh as it normally did, "Shepard, we need to get back to the top before it comes back again. I drove it underground, I think we can do this. But I need your help." he held out his hand to her, sincerity and sorrow written in his eyes. She pulled herself away from Barlow's body, sniffling back her tears and picking up the hand cannon.

"I'm sorry, Sketch..." she ran her hands through his curly blonde hair before exiting the Grizzly. Her body felt numb and her head was so foggy, she wasn't sure how she was still standing. So she wasn't too surprised when she slipped on the rocks and back down the hill.

"Hold on!" Walker shouted as he rushed down to help her. There was a loud boom as the maw resurfaced next to the Grizzly. Shepard looked up in terror, completely unaware of the hand that was reaching out to her. She could see what Walker meant about it almost being over - it was wavering back and worth, blue blood oozing out of newly, unnatural, orifices. But it still didn't change the fact that she was scared out of her mind.

"God damnit!" Walker pulled up his rifle to shoot but was thrown back as acid hit him square in the chest.

"W-Walker!" Shepard gasped, rushing over to her senior officer and raced to shed him of his deteriorating armor.

"Forget about me, Shepard!" he gasped, grabbing her wrist with his good hand as the acid hissed and crackled between them, "Use the hand cannon," he sucked in a sharp breath, "The Grizzly's leaking bad... You should be able to..." he gasped painfully, gripping her wrist tighter, "Make a pretty good explosion." he managed to smirk as the pain forced his body into a fit of quivers. "Tell my family... I love them..." his body went limp in her arms and at first she was stuck in a frozen state. But that changed when she heard the ugly cry of the maw, snapping her back to reality. Her hand gripped around Barlow's hand cannon and she held it up, looking for a spot on the Grizzly that was leaking fluid like Walker had said.

There.

Her finger closed around the trigger, sending a powerful blast towards the vehicle. A bloody inferno exploded and blossomed around the maw, colorful flames licking and tearing the creature apart. The scream was the worst yet most satisfying sound she had ever heard. Her eyes filled with tears, her dark brows crossing painfully as she held onto the lieutenant's body. The acid had stopped hissing at this point, but there was now a gory concave in his chest. She didn't want to get up, she didn't want to leave him behind. But she knew she had to keep moving. Her eyes caught a glimpse of his dog-tags hanging out of his armor, dangling over his neck and against the rocks. She removed them and held them tightly in her palm. The memory about the beacon and how Barlow had requested Walker to download it on his omni-tool returned to her. She reached over to Walker's arm and took off his omni-tool.

She wasn't much of a tech, but if Barlow could prove himself a worthy soldier by sacrificing himself for her, she could find her way to that beacon. She wobbled to her feet, turning on Walker's omni-tool as she walked away from his body. Away from what was left of the Grizzly and the maw. Away From Aaron "Sketch" Barlow. And away from the crew who had sacrificed their lives fighting these monstrous creatures.

She would remember what happened on Akuze. She would never forget.


End file.
